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mongabay.com news - February 2008China's wood industry fueled by illegal log imports from rainforest countries -- 02/29/2008While China has improved management of its forestry sector, expanding forest plantation cover and banning harvesting of natural forests, China's recent growth as wood-products exporter is built on timber imports much of which are illegal argues a researcher from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in a letter to Science. Mapping the future of conservation -- 02/28/2008 A new series of maps projecting habitat loss and the impact of climate change show that the world's most biodiverse regions are in most of need of conservation investments. The authors say the study, published online today in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, will help drive future conservation decisions. Saving forgotten species: An interview with Carly Waterman, Program Coordinator of EDGE -- 02/28/2008 In January 2007 a new conservation initiative arrived with an unusual level of media attention. The attention was due to the fact that the organization was doing things differently—very differently. Instead of focusing their efforts on the usual conservation-mascots like the panda or tiger, they introduced the public to long-ignored animals: photos of the impossibly unique aye-aye and a baby slender loris wrapped around a finger appeared in newsprint worldwide. The new initiative EDGE (Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered), launched by the Zoological Society of London, was not concerned with an animal's perceived popularity, rather the chose their focal species on a combined measurement of a species' biological uniqueness and its vulnerability to extinction. Consequently, they hoped to make celebrities out of animals (big and small) most people had never heard of: the hairy-eared dwarf lemur, anyone? $100 billion worth of carbon released from deforestation in Riau, Sumatra -- 02/27/2008 A WWF study found that deforestation of nearly 10.5 million acres of tropical forests and peat swamp in central Sumatra's Riau Province over the past 25 years has generated 3.7 gigatons of carbon dioxide. Based on today's $32 closing price for a ton of carbon dioxide for European Union Allowances, the emissions had a theoretical trading value of $118 billion, assuming they could have been traded at the full E.U. carbon price at the time (voluntary offsets would have been worth about $13 billion). Complete map of world forests to help REDD carbon trading initiative -- 02/27/2008 Policymakers, conservationists and scientists have high hopes that REDD, a mechanism for compensating countries for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, will spur a massive flow of funds to tropical countries, helping preserve rainforests and delivering economic benefits to impoverished rural communities. To date, one of the biggest hurdles for the initiative has been establishing a baseline for deforestation rates -- in order to compensate countries for "avoided deforestation" it first must be known how much forest the country has been losing on a historical basis. Until now, with some notable exceptions, this data was based largely on spotty satellite assessment and surveys of national forestry departments by the U.N. Food and Agricultural Organization. Organic fertilizers could fight global warming -- 02/27/2008 Applying organic fertilizers, such as those resulting from composting, to agricultural land could increase the amount of carbon stored in these soils and contribute significantly to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, according to new research published in a special issue of Waste Management & Research (Special issue published today by SAGE). A Doomsday Vault for Frogs? -- 02/27/2008 The Amphibian Ark, a doomsday vault for amphibians, will highlight Leap Day, February 29th, to recognize 2008 as the Year of the Frog. The campaign seeks to raise awareness of the global plight of frogs and other amphibians threatened by habitat loss, climate change, pollution and an emergent disease. Joining in the effort is the Wildlife Conservation Society?s (WCS) Bronx Zoo and New York Aquarium, facilities that house some of the world's most threatened amphibians. More people now live in cities than in rural areas -- 02/27/2008 By the end of 2008, half of the world's 6.7 billion people will live in urban areas, according to a report released by the United Nations today. Greenhouse gas emissions have already caused the Amazon to dry -- 02/27/2008 Anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases have already caused the Amazon to dry, finds a new study published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Small fires a big threat to Amazon rainforest biodiversity -- 02/27/2008 Small fires have a big impact in the Amazon rainforest, report researchers writing in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. The findings suggest a dire future for Earth's largest rainforest. Half the Amazon rainforest will be lost within 20 years -- 02/27/2008 More than half the Amazon rainforest will be damaged or destroyed within 20 years if deforestation, forest fires, and climate trends continue apace, warns a study published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Reviewing recent trends in economic, ecological and climatic processes in Amazonia, Daniel Nepstad and colleagues forecast that 55 percent of Amazon forests will be "cleared, logged, damaged by drought, or burned" in the next 20 years. The damage will release 15-26 billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere, adding to a feedback cycle that will worsen both warming and forest degradation in the region. While the projections are bleak, the authors are hopeful that emerging trends could reduce the likelihood of a near-term die-back. These include the growing concern in commodity markets on the environmental performance of ranchers and farmers; greater investment in fire control mechanisms among owners of fire-sensitive investments; emergence of a carbon market for forest-based offsets; and the establishment of protected areas in regions where development is fast-expanding. Web site offers homepage for every one of Earth's species -- 02/27/2008 Monumental may be the only way to properly describe the Internet's Encyclopedia of Life. Its creators have set themselves the task of gathering accurate and detailed information on the earth's known 1.8 million species until every tree, arachnid, rodent, and even virus will have its own in-depth webpage. Carbon trading could protect forests, reduce rural poverty -- 02/26/2008 Carbon trading from avoided deforestation (REDD) credits could yield billions of dollars for tropical countries, according to analysis by mongabay.com, a leading tropical forest web site. Rainforest logging threatens endangered sea turtles -- 02/25/2008 Logging is having an unexpected impact on endangered sea turtles in Central Africa, reports a new study published in Oryx. Aerial surveys in Gabon reveal that logs lost during transport are clogging beaches, preventing critically endangered leatherback turtles (Dermochelys coriacea) from nesting. Deforestation a greater threat to the Amazon than global warming -- 02/25/2008 If past conditions are any indication of future conditions, the Amazon rainforest may survive considerable drying and warming caused by global warming, argue researchers in a paper published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Reducing deforestation rates 10% could generate $13B in carbon trading under REDD -- 02/25/2008 Cutting global deforestation rates 10 percent could generate up to $13.5 billion in carbon credits under a reducing emissions from deforestation ("REDD") initiative approved at the U.N. climate talks in Bali this past December, estimate researchers writing in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. But the researchers caution there are still substantial obstacles to overcome before carbon-credits-for-rainforest-conservation becomes a reality. Expedition finds inverted pyramid where sharks dominate marine ecology -- 02/25/2008 A survey of a remote Pacific archipelago turned up pristine coral reefs that could offer a "baseline" for measuring the human impact on reefs worldwide, report researchers from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) at the University of California at San Diego. Global malaria map released - 35% of humanity at risk -- 02/25/2008 Researchers have developed a spatial distribution map for malaria. The results are published in Public Library of Science (PLoS) Medicine. Aye-aye diverged from other lemurs 66M years ago -- 02/25/2008 The aye-aye -- a bizarre, nocturnal lemur that taps on trees with its fingers to find its insect prey -- was the first of its family to branch off from the rest of the lemur line some 66 million years ago, report Duke researchers writing in the March 1 issue of Genome Research. Rats decimating Aleutian Islands' ecology -- 02/25/2008 Rats are disrupting fragile ecosystems on the Aleutian Islands Archipelago, reports a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Tsunami alert lifted after strong earthquake in Indonesia -- 02/25/2008 The tsunami warning following a 7.3 earthquake off the island in Sumatra, Indonesia has been lifted according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. Deep-sea krill discovered in Antarctica -- 02/25/2008 Antarctic krill have been found living at depths up to 3000 meters near the Antarctic Peninsula, a finding that changes scientists' understanding of a fundamental part of the ocean food chain. Previously researchers believed that krill lived only in the upper ocean. Amazon rainfall linked to Atlantic Ocean temperature -- 02/25/2008 Climate models increasingly forecast a dire future for the Amazon rainforest. These projections are partly based on recent research that has linked drought in the Amazon to sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic. As the tropical Atlantic warms, the southern Amazon -- the agricultural heartland of Brazil -- may see higher temperatures and less rainfall. Soil erosion: the future of Easter Island -- 02/25/2008 Today the saga that is Easter Island's past is well known. The tragic circumstances that led to the downfall of its early civilization through starvation and war are of epic proportions. Many scientists agree that the real life scenario born from this isolated island serves as a warning, about the interrelatedness between scarcity of natural resources and conflict, for all mankind. However, current natural resource practices suggest that this lesson has fallen on deaf ears. Brazil's ecosystem payments system offers clues for REDD implementation -- 02/24/2008 Brazil's existing system for environmental services payments could offer insight for implementing carbon-credits-for-forest-conservation (REDD) initiatives in the Amazon rainforest, argues a London School of Economics researcher in a new paper published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Amazon research and conservation cannot ignore social issues -- 02/24/2008 For Amazonian conservation to be effective it must start paying more attention to social issues according to a new paper: Taking things public: a contribution to address human dimensions of environmental change. The paper's author, Dr. Diogenes Alves, of the National Institute for Space Research told mongabay.com that "the main point of this paper is that it became crucial to recognize the social, economic and political settings associated with environmental change in the Amazon." Widespread butterflyfish may go extinct due to global warming, pollution -- 02/24/2008 The Chevroned Butterflyfish, a colorful fish found in tropical oceans around the world, faces extinction due to overexploitation, pollution and climate change, report researchers writing in the journal Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology. Despite its widespread distribution, the species could be doomed by its specialized feeding habitats: the Chevroned Butterflyfish (Chaetodon trifascialis) feeds on only one type of coral. Brazil seeks $1B/yr in donations to save the Amazon -- 02/23/2008 Brazil will establish a donation-based fund to help finance conservation in the Amazon, according to Bloomberg. The announcement comes after deforestation rates spiked during the last five months of 2007. Cyclone batters Madagascar -- 02/22/2008 29 people were reported dead after Cyclone Ivan, a category 3 storm, struck Madagascar. The storm flooded key rice-producing regions in the country and comes a month after Cyclone Fame killed 13 on the island. Deforestation, wildlife conflict will be the source of emerging diseases -- 02/22/2008 Due to habitat destruction and human-wildlife conflict, the tropics will likely be the next hotspot for emerging infectious diseases, report researchers who have developed the first map of new pathogens. Arizona seeks to become the 'Persian Gulf' of solar energy -- 02/22/2008 With a Spanish company's plans to dramatically expand solar capacity in the desert southwest of Phoenix, Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano said Arizona could become the "Persian Gulf of solar energy," according to the Associated Press. Amazon state launches Zero Extinction Program for endangered species -- 02/21/2008 The Brazilian state of Para has launched the Zero Extinction Program, an initiative to prevent threatened species from going extinct by protecting their habitats. Is Guyana's logging deal in its best interests? -- 02/21/2008 In January Guyana awarded U.S. timber firm Simon & Shock International a 400,000-hectare (988,400-acre) logging concession near the Brazilian border. Final approval hinges on the completion of an environmental impact survey and a tree inventory. While Simon & Shock International says it plans to conduct selective logging, the firm has not announced whether it will seek Forest Stewardship Council certification, a mark for responsibly-harvested timber. Is there an alternative that can improve the lot for the average Guyanese? There may be. Last fall Guyana's President, Bharrat Jagdeo, hinted at the potential of using the country's forests as a giant carbon offset to counter climate change. Melting of permafrost could trigger rapid global warming warns UN -- 02/21/2008 Melting of the Arctic permafrost is a "wild card" that could dramatically worsen global warming by releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases, warned the U.N. on Wednesday at a meeting in Monaco. Private sector pumping hundreds of billions into cleantech -- 02/21/2008 The private sector is "pumping hundreds of billions of dollars" into cleaner and renewable energies, says a new publication released yesterday by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). NASA: warming is causing Greenland ice to melt faster than expected -- 02/21/2008 Warming air temperatures are causing Greenland's ice sheet to melt faster than previously anticipated, reported NASA on Wednesday. Though unlikely, the complete melting of Greenland's ice sheet would raise global sea level by 23 feet. Photos: Caterpillar transforms from mimicking bird droppings to a leaf -- 02/21/2008 Scientists have discovered the hormone that enables swallowtail caterpillars to morph from mimicking bird droppings to the bright color form that matches the leaves upon which they feed. The research is published in Science. Large-scale Amazon deforestation or drying would have dire global consequences -- 02/21/2008 A new study shows that large-scale degradation of the Amazon, either through drying or continued deforestation, would have global consequence, including worsening climate change, causing regional vegetation shifts, and increasing dust in the atmosphere. Restoring soil carbon can reverse global warming, desertification and biodiversity loss -- 02/21/2008 Restoring the ability of soil to store carbon by promoting native grasses and vegetation can help reverse global warming, desertification and biodiversity loss, says an Australian researcher. Global warming - not el Niño - drove severe Amazon drought in 2005 -- 02/20/2008 One of the worst droughts on record in the Amazon was caused by high temperatures in the Atlantic rather than el Niño. The research, published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, suggests that human-driven warming is already affecting the climate of Earth's largest rainforest. World fertilizer prices surge 200% in 2007, hurting the poor -- 02/20/2008 World fertilizer prices surged by more than 200 percent in 2007, as farmers sought to maximize corn production for ethanol, according to the International Center for Soil Fertility and Agricultural Development (IFDC). Poor African farmers were hardest hit by the increase. Ancient Amazon fires linked to human populations -- 02/20/2008 Analysis of soil charcoal in South America confirms that from a historical perspective, fire is rare in the Amazon rainforest, but when it does occur, it appears linked to human activities. The research, published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, is based on dating of soil carbon, which provides a good indication of when fires occurred in Amazonia, according to lead author Mark Bush, head of the Department of Biology at Florida Institute of Technology. Rainforest fragmentation affects reptiles and amphibians -- 02/20/2008 Deforestation of tropical ecosystems is one of the major threats to biological diversity. Anthropogenic activities transform tropical environments into semi-natural landscapes generating a great amount of forest edge that limits with pastures and agricultural lands. Conservation strategies can mitigate the impact of global warming in the Amazon -- 02/19/2008 Careful design of protected areas to safeguard key "refugia" and allow for migration can increase the resilience of Amazon biodiversity to climate change, report researchers writing in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Amazon riparian zones need to be expanded to protect wildlife finds study -- 02/19/2008 Strips of forest mandated by Brazilian law along rivers and streams in the Amazon rainforest are too narrow to effectively safeguard biodiversity, reports new research published in the journal Conservation Biology. Photos of bizarre creatures discovered in Antarctica -- 02/19/2008 Researchers aboard the Aurora Australis, an Australian vessel, have discovered a trove of strange creatures on the sea floor near East Antarctica. Small Amazon farmers especially vulnerable to climate change -- 02/19/2008 Communicating the impact of climate change to small farmers in the Amazon will be key in helping them adapt to higher temperatures, more frequent and intense drought, and greater incidence of forest fires forecast for the region, according to a paper published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Fire policy is key to reducing the impact of drought on the Amazon -- 02/19/2008 Gaining control over the setting of fires for land-clearing in the Amazon is key to reducing deforestation and the impact of severe drought on the region's forests, write researchers in a paper published in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. Amid accusations of bribery by loggers, Borneo chief's remains to be exhumed -- 02/19/2008 Police have announced that they plan to exhume the body of Kelesau Naan to discover the cause of death. The Penan chieftain and passionate activist against logging disappeared in October while checking animal traps. His body was found on December 12th of last year. Several bones were broken, leading some to believe that Naan was assassinated because of his longtime work against loggers. Kelesau Naan had been one of the key figures in the Penan community's fight against logging. He was also a plaintiff and witness in a land rights claim that has been awaiting trial since 1998. Planktos kills iron fertilization project due to environmental opposition -- 02/19/2008 Planktos, a California-based firm that planned a controversial iron-fertilization scheme in an attempt to qualify carbon offsets, announced that it failed to find sufficient funding for its efforts and would postpone its project indefinitely. Leading tropical forest site launches in Spanish -- 02/19/2008 Mongabay.com, a leading forest conservation and environmental science news web site, today announced the availability of rainforest information and environmental science news in Spanish at es.mongabay.com. The announcement comes as Mongabay.com expands into several non-English languages, including Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, French, and Japanese. Gecko-inspired adhesive tape could improve recovery from surgery -- 02/18/2008 Researchers are close to developing a biodegradable surgical adhesive based on biomimicry of gecko feet. Geckos are famous for their ability to walk on ceilings and vertical surfaces. 10-pound 'Giant Frog From Hell' discovered in Madagascar -- 02/18/2008 Researchers have discovered the remains of what may be the largest frog ever to exist. Tuna may go the way of cod: a collapsed fishery -- 02/18/2008 The collapse of the cod fishery could provide important lessons to prevent a similar fate for some tuna populations, say researchers presenting at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Annual Meeting in Boston on February 18. How will global warming affect marine food chains? -- 02/17/2008 Rising temperatures and acidity of the world's oceans due to human emissions of carbon dioxide is putting marine food webs at risk warned a researcher speaking at a press briefing at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Boston. Why are oceans at risk from global warming? -- 02/17/2008 Climate change is putting the world's oceans at risk by increasing the temperature and acidity of seawater, and altering atmospheric and oceanic circulation, warned a panel of scientists this week at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) annual meeting in Boston. Mysteries of the Great White Shark unveiled -- 02/17/2008 The Great White Shark has always been a creature of mystery. The world's largest shark has long fascinated humanity from the novel and film Jaws to recent sumptuous footage of the sharks catching sea lions in Planet Earth. The behemoth, who at times can reach seven meters in length, has also become famous for occasionally attacking swimmers and surfers, though scientists believe the sharks do not intentionally hunt humans. However, the great predator's behavior and lifecycle remains mostly mysterious to science. Some of these mysteries are just now being unraveled thanks to the Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP) program. Ocean trawling impacts can be seen from space -- 02/16/2008 Bottom trawling, an industrial fishing method that drags large, heavy nets across the seafloor stirs up huge, billowing plumes of sediment on shallow seafloors that can be seen from space. Past greenhouse warming events offer clues on future climate change -- 02/16/2008 If carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels continue on a "business-as-usual" trajectory, humans will have added about 5 trillion metric tons of carbon to the atmosphere by the year 2400. A similarly massive release of carbon accompanied an extreme period of global warming 55 million years ago known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Digital maps and mathematical analysis could reduce fishing bycatch -- 02/16/2008 Images of dolphins and turtles ensnared in tuna nets are a heart-wrenching reminder of the impact of fisheries on ocean bio-diversity. Known in fisheries science as ‘by-catch,’ this killing of non-target species is a complex problem that has resisted easy answers. Carbon traders, not conservationists, could save Cameroon rainforest -- 02/15/2008 The government of Cameroon is looking to lease 830,000 hectares of biodiverse tropical forest to conservationists for an annual sum of $1.6 million. The problem? No conservation groups are interested. Apparently the asking price is too high, according to The Economist. Nike to launch "green" eco-shoe -- 02/15/2008 When Nike unveils the $185 Air Jordan XX3 this weekend at the NBA All-Star Game festivities this weekend, it will be the culmination of a company-wide effort to reduce the environmental impact of its footwear manufacturing, according to The Wall Street Journal. Warming could bring sharks to Antarctica with devastating ecological consequences -- 02/15/2008 Global warming could make the waters around Antarctica hospitable to sharks for the first time in 40 million years. Their return could have devastating ecological consequences report researchers from the University of Rhode Island. Prince Charles says protecting forests vital against climate change 'doomsday clock' -- 02/15/2008 Long-time environmental activist, Prince Charles delivered an impassioned speech yesterday to the European Parliament on global warming and the importance of rainforest conservation in mitigating the crises. Stabilizing climate requires cutting emissions to zero -- 02/14/2008 Even if greenhouse gas emissions are reduced to zero tomorrow, global temperatures would remain high for at least 500 years, according to a new study published in Geophysical Research Letters. The findings suggest that stablizing emissions at current levels will not be enough to curtail the effects of climate change. UN: biofuels are starving the poor by driving up food prices -- 02/14/2008 Echoing sentiments increasingly expressed by politicians, scientists, and advocates for the poor, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization warned that the world's poorest people are suffering as a result of the push to use food crops for biofuel production. Only 4% of the ocean is pristine according to first oceanic map of human-impact -- 02/14/2008 There is a much used adage regarding the ocean that goes something like this: we know more about our solar system than our ocean. Whether or not one believes this to be true (less than 5% of the ocean has been explored), a group of over twenty researchers, by agglomerating the available information on the oceans, have created a large-scale image of the ocean's health. 84 rare spoon-billed sandpipers found in Myanmar -- 02/14/2008 BirdLife International found 84 critically endangered spoon-billed sandpipers in coastal Myanmar (Burma). The discovery is welcome news for a species down to 200 to 300 pairs remaining in the wild. World's largest marine protected area established in the South Pacific -- 02/14/2008 Kiribati, a small island nation in the South Pacific, has established the world's largest marine protected area. Jack rabbits vanish from Yellowstone, ecologists puzzled -- 02/14/2008 Scientists are puzzled over the apparent disappearance of jack rabbits from Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks, but say the local extinction may be having region-wide impacts on a variety of other prey species and their predators, according to a new study by the Bronx Zoo-based Wildlife Conservation Society. $1 trillion carbon market in the U.S. by 2020 says study -- 02/14/2008 The U.S. carbon emission trading market will top $1 trillion by 2020 if policymakers continue on their current path towards a comprehensive "cap-and-trade" program, estimates an analysis released at climate roundtable discussions at the UN General Assembly in New York. Two strange carnivorous dinosaurs discovered in the Sahara -- 02/12/2008 Two previously unknown species of dinosaur discovered in the Sahara were unusual meat-eaters, report scientists from the University of Chicago and the University of Bristol. 5,000 mile-long tiger corridor proposed -- 02/13/2008 The Wildlife Conservation Society and the Panthera Foundation announced plans to establish a 5,000 mile-long "genetic corridor" from Bhutan to Burma that would span eight countries and allow tiger populations to roam freely across the largest remaining block of tiger habitat. The plan has been endorsed by leading conservationists and the new King of Bhutan, his Majesty Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck. Malaysia announces $103B development plan for Borneo island -- 02/13/2008 Malaysia announced a $103 billion development plan for Sarawak, a state in northern Borneo. Fatal shark attacks hit a 20-year low in 2007 -- 02/13/2008 Human deaths from shark attacks hit a 20-year low in 2007 according to statistics released by the University of Florida. The concepts of "nature" in Iceland and the U.S. -- 02/13/2008 I don't remember how we traveled from the airport to the village. I remember sitting on a bus from Reykjavik to the surrounding countryside, but the timeline from the States to that small Nordic country fails to make sense. This is fitting. It's a habit of mine to arrive at airports early. The airport implies states of both "coming" and "going", yet in truth, you arrive at neither until the moments of physically boarding a plane. Everything in between is pure luxury- seconds, minutes, and sometimes hours of detachment from linear time. I require the freedom to daydream. I wander around. I consider where people might be going. I give some thought to buying an expensive sandwich, the mediocrity of which will never justify the purchase. New World Record for Solar-to-Grid Conversion Efficiency -- 02/13/2008 Sandia National Laboratories and Stirling Energy Systems (SES) set a new solar-to-grid system conversion efficiency record by achieving a 31.25 percent net efficiency, nearly a 2 point gain of the previous record of 29.4 percent set in 1984. Sumatran tiger faces extinction due to wildlife trade -- 02/12/2008 The critically endangered Sumatran Tiger faces extinction due to the tiger parts trade in Indonesia, reports a new report from TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network run by IUCN and WWF. New duck-billed dinosaur discovered in Mexico -- 02/12/2008 A previously unknown species of dinosaur has been discovered in Mexico, shadding new light on the history of western North America, report researchers from the Utah Museum of Natural History at the University of Utah. How activists and scientists saved a rainforest island from destruction for palm oil -- 02/12/2008 In mid-January, Mongabay learned that the government of Papua New Guinea had changed its mind: it would no longer allow Vitroplant Ltd. to deforest 70% of Woodlark Island for palm oil plantations. This change came about after one hundred Woodlark Islanders (out of a population of 6,000) traveled to Alotau, the capital of Milne Bay Province, to deliver a protest letter to the local government; after several articles in Mongabay and Pacific Magazine highlighted the plight of the island; after Eco-Internet held a campaign in which approximately three thousand individuals worldwide sent nearly 50,000 letters to local officials; and after an article appeared in the London Telegraph stating that due to deforestation on New Britain Island and planned deforestation on Woodlark Island, Papua New Guinea had gone from being an eco-hero to an 'eco-zero'. First photos of face-to-face mating by gorillas in the wild -- 02/12/2008 Scientists have taken the first photos of face-to-face copulation by wild gorillas. The images were captured in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo. Lake Mead could be dry up by 2021 -- 02/12/2008 There is a 50 percent chance Lake Mead, a key source of water for millions of people in the southwestern U.S., will be dry by 2021 if climate changes as expected and future water usage is not curtailed, a new study finds. Cheap ranch loans may be driving jump in Amazon deforestation -- 02/12/2008 Surging deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon may be partly the result of new financial incentives given by state banks such as the Bank of Amazon (BASA), reports Agencia de Noticias da Amazonia, a Brazilian newspaper, and the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO). Bloomberg: global warming "just as lethal" as terrorism -- 02/12/2008 New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters Monday that global warming is as big a threat to humanity as terrorism, according to Reuters. Global warming to increase insect attacks on plants -- 02/11/2008 Global warming will increase attacks on plant leaves by insects, reports a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Global warming puts penguins at risk of extinction -- 02/11/2008 Climate change could put the long-term survival of sub-Antarctic King Penguins at risk by reducing the availability of prey, reports a new study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Mini-pterodactyl discovered in China -- 02/11/2008 Scientists have discovered a previously unknown species of pterodactyl in northeastern China. 10% of China's forests destroyed in recent storms -- 02/11/2008 Winter snow storms in China have destroyed 10 percent of the country's forest resources according to Chinese state media. Steel production drives deforestation in Brazil's Pantanal -- 02/11/2008 A steel mill in Corumbá, in the heart of Brazil's Pantanal wetland, is fueling destruction of forests for charcoal and undermining the rights of Amazonian forest dwellers, reports the Inter Press Service. Paper packaging devours south-eastern forests in the US -- 02/10/2008 The Dogwood Alliance has released a report highlighting the damage done by paper pulp mills and their corporate customers to America's Mid-Atlantic Coastal Forests. The forests, which span from Delaware through the Carolinas to Georgia, are extremely rich in biodiversity; scientists have catalogued over two-thousand terrestrial species, including thirty-two endemic species. Probably the most famous endemic species is the Venus flytrap; this strange carnivorous plant is native to an area only 10 by 100 square miles in North Carolina. A study by WWF determined that both species richness and endemism is even higher for freshwater aquatic species. Photo: Litter of naked mole rats born in time for Chinese New Year -- 02/10/2008 The Bronx Zoo introduces some of its favorite little herbivore critters — a new litter of naked mole rat "pups" arriving just in time to celebrate the Lunar New Year — Year of the Golden Rat. Naked mole rats can be seen everyday at their World of Darkness exhibit. Native to the tropical grasslands of Kenya, Somalia, and Ethiopia, the Zoo’s habitat gives a visual "slice of life" in a naked mole rat colony. Literally, the exhibit was designed to go deep underground to provide Zoo-goers with a view of this complex tunneling-system. Naked mole rats have a social system similar to bees with a queen (the only reproductive female), workers, and breeders. Sea turtle makes record migration - 12,774 miles -- 02/07/2008 Satellite-tagging has revealed that a leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) swam a total distance of 20,558 kilometers (12,774 miles) over 647 days from Jamursba-Medi, Indonesia to the coast of Oregon. The results are published in The State of the World's Sea Turtles magazine, a publication launched by Conservation International and the IUCN Marine Turtle Specialist Group. Staples dumps Asia Pulp & Paper over its destruction of virgin rainforests -- 02/07/2008 Office supply giant Staples Inc. dropped Asia Pulp & Paper Co. Ltd. (APP), one of the world's largest paper companies, as a supplier due to concerns over its environmental performance, reports Tom Wright of the Wall Street Journal. Carbon tax would make China greener and reduce warming risks -- 02/07/2008 Driven by booming economic growth and rapid urbanization, China's carbon dioxide emissions are surging. At the same time, forecasts suggest climate change will have an immense impact on the country, with rising sea levels projected to swamp key industrial areas and diminished rainfall reducing agricultural output. Given this outlook, a new policy paper published in Science argues that China will need to embark on a cleaner path to growth, one that is less dependent on coal. The authors say that international assistance in the form of carbon funds could help persuade Chinese leadership to move towards more environmentally-friendly energy technologies. Biofuels are worsening global warming -- 02/07/2008 Converting native ecosystems for production of biofuel feed stocks is worsening the greenhouse gas emissions they are intended to mitigate, reports a pair of studies published in the journal Science. The studies follow a series of reports that have linked ethanol and biodiesel production to increased carbon dioxide emissions, destruction of biodiverse forest and savanna habitats, and water and air pollution. First rainforest-for-carbon-credits deal becomes a reality -- 02/07/2008 Villagers in Aceh, the Indonesian province that suffered through three decades of civil war and lost some 170,000 people to the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, could soon see $26 million in carbon credits for protecting rainforests from logging under a deal announced today between conservationists, carbon traders, and the Aceh government. Madagascar's tortoises at high risk of extinction -- 02/07/2008 Madagascar's rare and unique turtles and tortoises face high risk of extinction in the wild if conservation measures are not rapidly put into place, warned a group of scientists meeting to discuss the fate of Madagascar's most threatened repitles. Natural ocean thermostat may protect some coral reefs -- 02/07/2008 Natural processes may prevent oceans from warming beyond a certain point, helping protect some coral reefs from the impacts of climate change, new research finds. The study provides evidence that an ocean "thermostat" may be helping regulate sea-surface temperatures in a biologically diverse region of the western Pacific. Is California fish catch linked to wind patterns? -- 02/06/2008 Are fluctuations in fish catch off the coast of California linked to wind patterns? A new study by scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego suggests yes France blocks controversial rainforest gold mine in French Guiana -- 02/06/2008 Environmentalists declared victory after the French government blocked approval of a controversial gold mine bordering the Kaw wetland, an ecologically rich site in French Guiana. The decision was handed down last week following an environmental assessment by the Ministry of Ecology and Sustainable Development based on work by local scientists. New uakari monkey discovered in the Amazon rainforest -- 02/05/2008 A previously unknown species of uakari monkey was discovered in the Brazilian Amazon, reports National Geographic News. The primate was identified after it was killed by Yanomamo Indians near the Brazil-Venezuela border. Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees -- 02/05/2008 Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health. Values and Sustainability -- 02/05/2008 Intentions matter. This simple wisdom becomes quite apparent the older we become. Though we don't always have control on the outcome of our effort, our intentions often dictate how happy or upset we are with any of life's results (a.k.a. the quality of our lives). For instance, if we are committed to become healthy in all aspect of our lives we are less likely to become fat, more likely to eat quality food, and more likely to exercise in ways that bring us joy. If our intentions are to be thin the road we take may be unhealthy, filled with inconsistent weight, and bring us no pleasure. When it comes to living green intentions matter more than we realize because how we define our values towards nature, conservation, and sustainability can greatly impact not only the quality of our own lives, but the quality of life for all living species. Photo: Palawan peacock pheasant -- 02/04/2008 NYC's Fashion Week extravaganza has nothing on some amazing colors that are on the "runway" models at the Wildlife Conservation Society's Bronx Zoo headquarters. "Palooka", the Bronx Zoo's male Palawan peacock pheasant is showing off his most brilliant blue feathers this season - a sure ringer for the forecasted fall color line-up. People spending less time outdoors -- 02/04/2008 People worldwide are spending less time out in nature, according to research published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). The development, warn the authors, could have implications for future conservation policy issues. Climate system approaching 9 critical tipping points -- 02/04/2008 Earth is approaching and may pass nine important climate tipping points this century, according to research published this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS). Papua New Guinea's Environment Minister says foreign firms attempted to bribe him -- 02/04/2008 The Environment and Conservation minister of Papua New Guinea, Benny Allen, has stated that three different foreign firms attempted to bribe him. NASA: Rain falls more often during the week than weekends -- 02/04/2008 Storms in the southeastern United States generate more rainfall during the work week than on weekends, report NASA scientists. The pattern can be attributed to lower atmospheric pollution from humans on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Atmospheric particulates have been linked to rainfall. Borneo's Sabah state will see $32B in investment -- 02/04/2008 Malaysia put forth a $32.4 billion development plan for Sabah, a rainforest state on the island of Borneo, reports Reuters. The Panamanian golden frog declared extinct by BBC Natural History crew -- 02/04/2008 A national symbol of Panama has been declared extinct by BBC filmmakers. The crew was in Panama to film the unique frog for David Attenborough's most recent series on reptiles and amphibians, entitled Life in Cold Blood. The filmmakers achieved their objective and captured the golden frog on film, including rarely seen behavior. Giant shrew discovered in Tanzania -- 02/01/2008 More than a quarter larger than all of its relations, the Grey-faced sengi (Rhynchocyon udzungwensis) was first discovered on a roll of film from camera traps set-up in the Udzungwa Mountains of Tanzania. The photos of this mysterious giant elephant-shrew were sent to expert Dr. Galen Rathbun, who has studied the sengi (or elephant-shrew) for over thirty years; after examiining the photos he believed that the animal's unique coloring proved it was an unknown species. News index | RSS | News Feed Advertisements: Organic Apparel from Patagonia | Insect-repelling clothing |
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